Ding – simplify the process of topping up your phone

Anyone on a pay as you go phone plan will know it can sometimes be quite a hassle to top up the fees. You can use cards, sometimes text messages or free calls, but it can still be a hassle. Likewise when you’re trying to top up someone else’s phone, say if you’re a parent. Now there’s a new service which promises to make it easier.

Ding acts as a central clearing house for top up requests across borders. The service claims so be able to handle over 130 countries, and the process of topping up is very simple. First you add in the phone number you want to top up (it can be in any of the countries), then the amount and finally you pay via your credit card or Paypal.

The top up is then sent directly to the phone via the Ding system. You can also send a separate text message to let the recipient know the top up has been done. It’s very quick and easy, and you don’t need to remember any complicated PIN numbers etc.

There is also protection if the phone plan is defunct or something wrong otherwise with the target handset, which is good, since there’s an immediate refund (from Paypal at least) if something goes wrong. The service charges a fee for the transfer (e.g. 39p on a £5.00 transfer) which is fair enough. Definitely worth checking out if you have children at college and you’re still paying their phone bills.

Nigel is the managing editor of the Red Ferret, as well as a freelance columnist for the Sunday Times newspaper in London. Loves tech and fancies himself as a bit of a futurist, but then don’t we all?